American Airlines Cargo has nearly doubled its reduction of long-term plastic waste through its ongoing partnership with BioNatur Plastics, replacing 274,000 lbs. of traditional plastic in 2024 – the equivalent to eliminating 12.6 million plastic water bottles from the waste stream.

The cargo airline first teamed up with BioNatur Plastics in 2022, initially cutting plastic waste by 6.4 million bottle equivalents per year. The latest figures mark a nearly 100% increase in reduction since the partnership began.

BioNatur Plastics supplies biodegradable and fully recyclable plastic products that perform like traditional plastics but break down in landfill environments within eight to 12 years, avoiding the creation of microplastics. The materials are used across American Airlines Cargo’s US hubs, Latin America, and other domestic locations, with plans for further expansion.

American Airlines Cargo continues to incorporate BioNatur Plastics’ sustainable alternatives into key cargo operations, including pallet covers, sheeting, and stretch wrap for unit load devices (ULDs), distributed through M&G Packaging.

Greg Schwendinger, president of American Airlines Cargo, said: “We have a strong and successful partnership with BioNatur Plastics, and I’m pleased to see how much our efforts to migrate more of our operations plastic use to their biodegradable products is helping us reduce our long-term waste and overall footprint.

“To see the progress over just three years shows how implementing sustainable practices can truly make a difference. We look forward to continuing to work toward a green future.”

Chris Paladino, president of BioNatur Plastics, said: “American Airlines Cargo continues to be a leader in sustainability and we are proud to have supported the cargo team as they more than doubled their impact in 2024.

“BioNatur’s biodegradable and recyclable plastics are ideal for cargo that is being distributed around the world. We look forward to an even bigger 2025.”

READ MORE NEWS: American Airlines Cargo expands at Heathrow with new high-tech facility